New 911 Speedster: Porsche's Blast from the Past, Now on Film

Earlier today, we told you about the all-new 408-horsepower Porsche 911 Speedster that will have its world premiere in Paris on September 30 and hit the streets this December. Now we bring you the first video of the limited edition drop-top 911 with the chopped down windshield and double-bubble hard top, both directly inspired by the original 356 Speedster. Scroll down to watch the official promo.

On a side note, if anyone knows where the video was filmed, leave us a message in the comments section below.

______________________________________________________________________

Paris Preshow: New Porsche 911 Speedster

Celebrating its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show alongside the new 911 GTS models, will be a new member of Porsche's long-running sports car family, the 911 Speedster, which will be launched onto the market in December 2010.

The car might be new, but the Speedster name is old, in fact far older than the 911 itself as it was first used on the classic 356 model of 1953. Porsche revived the Speedster in 1989 with a limited run edition based on the 911 Carrera 3.2, followed in 1992/1993 by a newer model based on the Type 964 911 Carrera. According to Porsche, two examples of the Type 993 911 Speedster were also built to special order.

Designed and conceived by the Porsche Exclusive department in Stuttgart, the new 911 Convertible-based Speedster pays a styling homage to its predecessors featuring a 60mm lowered and more rakish windscreen as well as the characteristic 'double-bubble' hardcover behind the cabin for the manual soft top.

The car's "chopped down" appearance is further enhanced by the use of the Carrera 4 body with its 44 millimeter wider rear stance.

In addition to these changes, the 911 Speedster also benefits from a series of other styling upgrades including a bespoke front spoiler, specific side-skirts, a distinct rear apron, tinted front lights, black headlight surrounds and black windscreen border. It also features a set of retrotastic Fuchs-style rims and color-coordinated black stone guards ahead of the rear wheels, which are reminiscent of prior editions of the 911.

Porsche developed an exclusive "Pure Blue" finish for the Speedster but upon request, the car is also available in Carrara White, at no extra cost.

Interior modifications are limited to the specific color and trim options such as the black leather upholstery with color-keyed elements.

Power for the new Speedster comes from the 911 GTS's tweaked 3.8-litre flat six that delivers 408-horsepower, or 23HP more in comparison with the 911 Carrera S. The firm's seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission is in charge of delivering power to the rear axle which is fitted with a standard differential lock. Other standard features include the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB).

While Porsche did not release performance figures, the Stuttgart-based automaker said the Speedster returns an average fuel consumption of 10.3lt /100 km (22.8 mpg US).

Commemorating its famous 1950's forebear, the German firm will build just 356 examples of the new Speedster. In Germany, the 911 Speedster is priced at €201,682 (about US$263,700), while in the UK, pricing is set at £144,100 (USD$224,700 or €171,900). US pricing has not yet been announced.

Insider: New Porsche 911 Speedster to Debut in Paris

The recently introduced 408HP 911 GTS (read more here) in Coupe and Cabriolet forms won't be the only newcomers at Porsche's Paris Motor Show stand. According to our insiders, the Stuttgart-based sports car maker will also stage the world premiere of the long-rumored 911 Speedster based on the current 997 series.

The last time Porsche offered a Speedster variant of the 911 was back in the early Nineties with the 964-based model (see photos below). Like its predecessor, the new Speedster will pay homage to the 356 Speedster of the 1950s, featuring a chopped windscreen and the classic twin hump behind the front passengers.

Other highlights will include the nostalgic Fuchs-style alloy wheels from the 911 Sport Classic and the wider rear end from Carrera 4 models.

The new two seater 911 Speedster will be built in a limited number of units. We'll update this story as soon as Porsche comes out with an official release, so stay tuned...

BP Ultimate 1, Ultimate Driving Machine 0; Porsche 911 GT3 Crashes into Gas Pump

The Porsche GT3 RS is widely accepted to be one of the best handling performance cars on the road today. So how is it that this driver managed to slam it into the petrol pump at a BP service station?

In any case, you only have to type, "car + petrol station" into YouTube to see just how lucky this guy was... Sure, the repairs will no doubt cost more than a well-equipped Toyota Corolla but at least he wasn't burnt alive.

We gather this accident happened in England because of the blue-and-yellow-marked Police Mitsubishi (Shogun?) parked in the background, but that's about all the information we have.

We would have contacted BP for a statement, but we assumed they were busier with some...ahem...other, little accident...

By Tristan Hankins

Via: Autoblog.nl & Jalopnik , Photos: Quattroworld

Porsche Returning to Detroit Show for 2011 after a Three Year Hiatus

After a three year absence, Porsche will return to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit next year. The show's organizers say they see this move as an indication that the auto industry is getting "stronger".

The show's co-chairman, Bill Perkins said, "We're very excited about it. The demand for space is very strong. People see the market coming back."

Porsche abandoned the Detroit Show in 2008, citing that it wanted to find more personal ways to reach out to potential customers. It must have worked with Porsche selling 15,719 vehicles in the U.S. between January and August 2010, up 23.5% from same time last year.

The upcoming 2012 Porsche 911 (see spy video here), which will feature a new engine and lighter chassis, could make its world debut at the 2011 NAIAS, though chances are the Stuttgart automaker will prefer to reveal the car at the Frankfurt show in September of the same year.

Nissan, Mitsubishi and Suzuki have also been absent the past two years the show was held, and are unconfirmed for the 2011 edition.

By Tristan Hankins

408-horsepower Porsche 911 GTS: The New Way to Annoy your Neighbors [with Video]

Porsche has dropped the 411 on the latest special edition of its 911 before its debut in Paris. After such recent winners as the 911 Sport Classic (with its delicious Fuchs rims and duck-tail spoiler) and the GT2 RS (with its 620 horsepower), Stuttgart's new froggy is called the Carrera GTS and gets a 23-horsepower boost over the basic S but is just as efficient.

Available as both a coupe and convertible, the 408-horse / 310 lb-ft GTS is like a top-range naturally-aspirated model for everyday use; after all, the 435-horse GT3 isn't really a car for child-rearing families.

The car's power bump is the result of "a special resonance intake manifold [in which] six vacuum-controlled tuning flaps switch between power- and torque-optimized geometry, whereas in a Carrera S power unit there is only one tuning flap." Sounds like hocus pocus to me.

Underneath the wider Carrera 4 body is a "classic" rear-wheel drive setup. The extra 44-mm allows the car to have fat tire-wearing, center-locking, grip-providing RS Spyder 19's on a wider track. Porsche says they're painted black, but chances are good they'll cater to your every need if the checkbook's open (green, anybody?).

Body add-ons include a SportDesign front apron and the car's lower body trim painted black. The GTS logos on the doors and tail are going to be silver or black depending on the color of the car, but do yourself a favor and get the rear badge-delete option. The door logos are more than enough.

The interior, meanwhile, gets sprayed down in Alcantara and leather with steering assistance in the form of a chubby SportDesign three-spoke wheel. After all, it's important to be comfortable and collected when you're hitting the limiter in 6th at 190 mph (306 km/h).

Top speed not your bag? Just plain interested in merging and doing the touted 19 city / 27 highway? If optioned with the with PDK and a Sport Chrono Package Plus (which has to be in the Sport Plus setting), a hardtop GTS Coupe will hit 100km/h (62mph) from standstill in 4.2 seconds and then you can just cruise in the right-hand lane.

Once it hits Germany in December, the GTS Coupe will retail for €104,935 (the Cab starts at €115,050), both after a 19% VAT. When it arrives Stateside next spring, prices will be $103,100 for the Coupe and $112,900 for the convertible.

By Phil Alex

_____________________________________________________________________